"Creativity Matters" is the theme of CPSI 2005, which will be held June 26 to July 1 at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. CPSI stands for Creative Problem-Solving Institute, and the event is put on by the Creative Education Foundation.

IdeaFlow is a sponsor of CPSI this year, and I will be blogging (text and video) real-time as part of a conference "Ethnographic Research Team" that will spend the week capturing the real-life experience of CPSI. (IdeaFlow posts on previous CPSIs can be found here.)

Among the keynote speakers is Richard Florida, whose new book, The Flight of the Creative Class, is released this month. Florida's keynote address is about the role of creativity in communities, cities and government.

Other keynote speakers of interest include educator and writer Mary Catherine Bateson (featured in the February 2005 Harvard Business Review's "Breakthrough Ideas for 2005"), Toyota's head of training Mike Morrison, and Intel anthropologist Genevieve Bell.

Also:

* In-depth, weeklong programs including "Springboard to Creative Problem Solving," offering a proven process for deliberately applying creative thinking and problem solving to real-world challenges, and "Applied Creativity: Hands-on Tools for Innovative Results in Organizations."

* Case-study breakout sessions from global organizations who apply creativity for innovation.

* A pre-conference workshop on "Creative Leadership: Applying Imagination to Jumpstart Your Organization's Innovation."

* Coleen Rowley, retired FBI agent and whistel-blower, will speak on the role of imagination in ethical decision making.

You can save $150 if you register by April 30. Plus, since we're a sponsor, please enter this IdeaFlow VIP Code when you register: WS66425

If you don't see the banner on the right about the conference, use this link to register for CPSI:

http://www.cpsiconference.com/index.cfm?regcode=WS66425